Futures Bright
by Leva
Summary: A silly bit of Elisa and Goliath fluff written in 1995.


"Futures Bright"  
~By Leva (leva@firefox.org)  
  
* * * * *  
  
Author's Notes: Found my old story disks. Wrote this just after the end of the third season. I'm not sure if this has been archived anywhere. Silly little vignette, but what the hey ...   
  
* * * * *  
  
"... say what?" Elisa said, in a tone somewhere between disbelief and utter outrage. She pulled a glove off with her teeth, ran a hand over her face, and repeated, "You must be kidding."  
  
Xanatos leaned against the wall -- the empty wall -- of Castle Wyvern's tallest tower. He looked up at her. "I said, you missed all the fun. The border patrol showed up here around nine o'clock weilding big guns. They detained the clan."  
  
Elisa digested that for a very, very long and silent moment. "What?" She repeated. She sounded ... frightened, angry, disbelieving. Then she put her glove back on, and headed for the stairs down.  
  
"Worse, it's legal." Xanatos followed her. "We've established a few precedents to the effect that gargoyles are legally human -- Goliath's court case, most significantly. And I brought them here without papers. They are, in effect, illegal aliens."  
  
Elisa stopped in her tracks on a landing, and thought about that for a moment. Then thought about it a little longer. Then she said a dirty word, and hurried on down the stairs.   
  
"They arrested Dominique Destine, too." Xanatos added, with a slightly malicious grin. "I figured that was only just."  
  
Elisa paused, thought about that, then said, "They're not holding her and the clan in the same cell, I would hope!"  
  
"I have no earthly idea. This all happened about an hour ago. Like I said, you missed all the fun ..." Xanatos sighed. "Owen's rounding up a few lawyers. There's a few ways we can fight this."  
  
"Like how?" Elisa stared at the empty wall.   
  
"Well, we can try to get them declared refugees -- if we can prove they'd be in mortal danger in Scotland. Then there's the reaction Scotland'll have to us trying to dump gargoyles off on them. They'll be thrilled." Xanatos held the tower door open for Elisa; she gave him a sideways look that was unreadable.  
  
"We can tie this up in court for years ..." He shook his head. "Damnit, this was not a move I was expecting. Secret black helicopters in the night, yeah. That, I had defenses for. Not ... this!"  
  
* * * * *  
  
It took three days to get access to the clan. They'd given the gargoyles a block of cells all to their own, apart from other detainees. And seperated from each other by empty cells. At least Demona and the clan were not in the same cell ... Demona glowered at them as they walked past; Elisa favored her with a bright and cheerful smile and very fake smile. Owen gave her a nod of greeting. Xanatos ignored her. Fox stuck her tongue out.  
  
Elisa continued down the corridor, followed by Xanatos, Owen, Fox, two of Xanatos' pet lawyers, and several armed guards.   
  
"Elisa!" Lexington, the second in the row after Demona, leaped to his feet.   
  
"Hi Lex." Elisa said, and greeted the others briefly and individually.  
  
Goliath was at the very end; he looked sullen and miserable. She smiled at him, "We'll get you out of there, big guy, as soon as we can."  
  
Goliath reached through the bars and stroked her cheek with a knuckle. "I know you will."  
  
Elisa caught his hand, folded her hands about it, and leaned against the bars. They spoke too softly for the others to hear.   
  
At that, the two lawyers exchanged significant glances. They withdrew, towing Xanatos and trailed by Owen. "Sir, perhaps I see a solution ..." One began.  
  
"The detective has feelings for Goliath, does she not?" The second said, with a wolfish grin.   
  
Owen lifted an eyebrow. "Indeed she does. Though she is ... understandably reluctant to act upon them."   
  
"Okay, In think I see a possible strategy." The first lawyer said, "... First we get the clan declared a family. Then ..." He detailed a plan that was both elegant and audacious. Owen's face bore a decidely Puckish expression by the time the lawyers were done, and Xanatos was stroking his goatee and grinning.   
  
* * * * *  
  
"You want me to what?" Elisa stared at Xanatos. At the lawyers. And then at Owen.   
  
Owen returned her look with a bland stare, and said, "Detective, this was not my idea."  
  
Elisa made a disbelieving noise.  
  
"If you marry Goliath," Xanatos said, smoothly, "It will pave the way towards establishing not only his legality in this country, but very possibly, American citizenship."   
  
"Marry ... Goliath." Elisa fell silent.  
  
"You do love him." Owen said, softly.   
  
Elisa's eyes flashed with not a little anger. "What business is it of yours?" Unspoken, a 'trickster' lingered suspiciously in her voice.  
  
"It's a very simple way to get him legally into the country. And ... you're not planning on marrying anyone else, are you?" Xanatos said, grinning at her.   
  
"Xanatos, you are a manipulative bastard. But ..." She sighed. "Okay! I know the laws ... but ... okay! I'll do it." A sudden light twinkled in her eyes. "But I get to ask him."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Xanatos, Owen, and his lawyers had, Elisa quickly learned, a sense of romance. Several days later, after much delicate negotiations, they managed to get Goliath out of the cell and into a private conferance room. And then they excused themselves, leaving Elisa and Goliath alone in the room.  
  
"Xanatos is plotting something." Goliath said, without preamble.  
  
"Well, yes." Elisa hugged him, pressed her cheek against his chest.   
  
With a sigh, he returned the embrace; he held her for several long moments. "I've missed you." He whispered into her hair.  
  
"Mmmm." Elisa draped her arms around his neck, leaned back, and studied his face. He looked tired, and worried. "We do have a plan, Goliath ... but it's one from the heart." She stepped back, and hitched herself up onto a corner of the table that sat in the center of the small room. "Goliath ... you're my best friend." She rested a hand on his arm. "... and more."  
  
"What are you saying?" He studied her from under lowered brows. Suspicion marked his face.  
  
"That I love you." She looked up at him.  
  
He stroked her cheek with his thumb. "Aye. As I love you."  
  
"I'd hoped we'd have more time to get used to the concept." Elisa said, wrily. "But ... well, the way the law's written, it's a lot easier to get you a greencard if you're married to a citizen."  
  
Goliath's brows shot even further downward. "What?"  
  
Her smile was mildly amused. "Marry me, big guy."  
  
He frowned at her, and stepped away. "Elisa, have you thought this through?"  
  
She shrugged. "Haven't you thought of it anyway?"  
  
He closed his eyes. "Often."  
  
"I admit I'd expected this to be under other circumstances, but ..."  
  
"I can't ask you to do this." Goliath said, shortly. "It's not fair to you. They'll send me to Scotland, and ..."  
  
"... and what then? You've no place to go in Scotland. This is your home. And who says they'll welcome you home? They send you to Scotland, you get thrown into some kind of legal limbo ..." Actually, there was a major international incident brewing there ... even if they "deported" Goliath, he might never end up on the other side of the Atlantic. Odds were, he'd be stuck in a cell for the rest of his *life* while the officials on both sides tried to negotiate something workable.  
  
Which might have been the ultimate plan of the politicians, anyway. The gargoyles were at least off the streets and not running around loose.  
  
Goliath sighed, pulled her close, and stroked her hair. He was silent for many long minutes before speaking. "If ... we were not faced with this, would you still concider marriage to me?"  
  
Elisa stiffened in his arms, and stepped away. She turned her back to him, hugged herself, and did not answer his question for more silent minutes. Goliath waited, silently, for her answer.  
  
"You really like the hard questions, don't you?" She finally glanced back at him. She couldn't lie to him. Her dark eyes were troubled, hurting. "Goliath, I ... I don't know."  
  
Softly, he asked, "Why not?"  
  
She snapped, "Do I need to spell it out?"  
  
"No." He rested a hand on her shoulder. "I do not wish for you to swear an oath on my behalf which you do not feel fully in your heart; which you may later regret. You are my ... best friend, Elisa."  
  
Something changed in her stance. A certain lessening of tension; a release of uncertainty. "Goliath," She said with a grin, "I won't regret marrying you. It's the rest of the world I'm worried about. And you know what? The rest of the world doesn't matter."  
  
He blinked at her in suprise.  
  
Very distinctly, she said, "I love you." She leaped up, flung her arms around his neck, and kissed him. Passionately.  
  
After a moment of suprise, Goliath wrapped his arms around her, and then his wings, and returned the kiss.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Xanatos grinned broadly when returned to the room some moments later. Goliath stood with one hand resting on Elisa's shoulder; she leaned against him. An odd smile played across her face; she glanced up at Goliath.  
  
"Well?"  
  
Goliath folded his arms, and frowned at Xanatos and Owen, who had entered behind Xanatos, "I'm not sure if I should be angry at you for meddling, or invite you to the wedding."  
  
Xanatos grinned at them, and tossed a key to Elisa. The key was attached to a picture of a large yacht, with the Manhattan skyline in the background. "Merry Christmas. The honeymoon's on me."  
  
... And they lived happily ever after.   
  
  



End file.
